Easy halloumi supper

Having one of those days when ‘make dinner’ is just one of 8 million things on your to-do list? Totally run out of ideas? Yup, us too. So with frazzled, time-poor cooks in mind, here’s the first recipe in our new series of speedy weekday suppers.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be asking our favourite cooks to inspire us with a nifty new dish. Because there’s only so much pasta and pesto a girl can eat.

1. Add a splash of olive oil to a pot and cook the onion, carrot and garlic until softened. Add the wine and stock or water and allow to bubble up for a bit. Fold in the lentils and bay leaf and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste and add a splash of balsamic vinegar for a touch of sweetness and mustard to give it a kick. Adjust the seasoning.

2. Finely chop the kale (so it is like chopped parsley): carve the green from the heavy white stem, stack the leaves, roll them into a bundle, slice thinly, then chop the slivers a bit further. Be gentle with it. Fold the kale through the lentils. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Thinly slice the halloumi or cut it into cubes. Fry in a little olive oil until golden. Scatter it over the lentils and finish with parsley and lemon juice and zest (and chorizo or bacon if you’re including it).